Phytochemical composition of Ecballium elaterium extracts with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities: Comparison among leaves, flowers and fruits extracts

Abstract

Ecballium elaterium (squirting cucumber) is a Mediterranean plant used in folk medicine. Especially fruits and fruits juice are administered for several therapeutic uses, although they can be toxic at high doses. In the present work, a phytochemical characterization of different parts of the plant, namely fruits, flowers and leaves, was made. Extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector and mass spectrometry with triple quadrupole analyzer (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS). Only one cucurbitacin, Cuc D, was found in the three extracts, and an additional one, Cuc P, was tentatively identified for the first time in fruits extract. Additionally, several flavonoids such as rutin, narcissin and kaempferol were tentatively identified in the plant. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and inhibition of human erythrocyte hemolysis mediated by AAPH. Results revealed that flowers extract was the most active one, with an EC50 of 46.01 µg/ml for DPPH and TEAC values of 489.11 and 160.97 µmol Trolox/g extract for ABTS and FRAP respectively; despite the protective effect of all extracts in AAPH assay was relatively moderated. In case of anti-inflammatory activity, all extracts were active by inhibiting heat induced protein denaturation in a non-dose dependent manner, showed protection against hypotonic hemolysis and reduction of mice hind paw edema, 3 h after carrageenan injection; as for previous tests, flowers extract exhibited the highest percentage of inhibition (82.93%) of hind paw edema at a dose of 200 mg/kg. Therefore, E. Elaterium flowers extract showed potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects similar to those exerted by the fruits. Keywords: Ecballium elaterium, Cucurbitacins, Flavonoids, HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, Anti-inflammatory activity, Antioxidant activity